Cut Out + Keep

Shower Curtain Tote

Turn a shower curtain in to a tote bag.

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/shower-curtain-tote • Posted by Refashioned Bags

Picture this . . . you are at the beach, relaxing in the sun. You glance up at the horizon and spot him. You know, that dream boy from your favorite T. V. show? You think quick, and reach for your camera in your beach bag—your friends will never believe this! You scramble for your camera amid the chaos of your bag, and when you finally look up . . . he is gone. If only you had the transparent Shower Curtain Bag! With this see-through, pocketed wonder you’ll never lose time (and the photo op of a life time) again. QUICK TIP: Use a leather needle with your sewing machine for sewing the plastic. These heavyweight needles boast a razor tip perfect for piercing tough PVC. Not So Fun Fact: Most shower curtains are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material that’s notoriously hard to recycle. To make this tote work even harder, only buy a shower curtain that will eventually break down when you’re done with it. DIMENSIONS 14" x 14" (35.5cm x 35.5cm)

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

2 h 00

Difficulty

So-so
Medium tote 1256317787

Description

Picture this . . . you are at the beach, relaxing in the sun. You glance up at the horizon and spot him. You know, that dream boy from your favorite T. V. show? You think quick, and reach for your camera in your beach bag—your friends will never believe this! You scramble for your camera amid the chaos of your bag, and when you finally look up . . . he is gone. If only you had the transparent Shower Curtain Bag! With this see-through, pocketed wonder you’ll never lose time (and the photo op of a life time) again. QUICK TIP: Use a leather needle with your sewing machine for sewing the plastic. These heavyweight needles boast a razor tip perfect for piercing tough PVC. Not So Fun Fact: Most shower curtains are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material that’s notoriously hard to recycle. To make this tote work even harder, only buy a shower curtain that will eventually break down when you’re done with it. DIMENSIONS 14" x 14" (35.5cm x 35.5cm) From the book Refashioned Bags by Faith & Justina Blakeney. Read our review here.

Instructions

  1. Small tote1 1256317929

    Cut a 25" x 32" (63.5cm x 81cm) rectangle from the shower curtain. Fold the bottom of the rectangle upward 6" (15cm).

  2. Fold the top of the rectangle down 5" (12.5cm).

  3. Place parchment paper over and under the folds and sew the folds down on both ends of the curtain. Every 6" (15cm) along the bottom of the curtain, sew a vertical seam to hold the fold into place and create 5 pockets. Whenever you sew over the curtain, place parchment paper over and under the plastic to help the sewing machine glide over the plastic, then, when the seam is in place, carefully rip the parchment paper off.

  4. Small tote2 1256318009

    Cut 3 strips from the scrap fabric. The first should be 3" x 30" (7.5cm x 76cm); the second and third strips should 3" x 21" (7.5cm x 53.5cm). Roll hem all 3 strips on the long sides.

  5. Small tote3 1256318247

    Place the longest strip 3" from the top folded edge of the bag. Use a couple pieces of tape to hold it in place, then cover the area with parchment paper on the bottom, and stitch the bottom edge of the strip onto the curtain.

  6. Small tote4 1256318252

    Fold the curtain in half widthwise and sew the sides together (using parchment paper) with a clean finish.

  7. Small tote5 1256318363

    Turn the bag so that the seam created in step 6, is in the center back of the bag. Sew the bottom of the bag (using parchment paper) with a clean finish.

  8. Small tote6 1256318370

    Place the ends of 1 of the shorter strips vertically under the top edge of the longer fabric strip to create the handle. Each end should be 3" (7.5cm) from the center of the bag. Repeat on the back with the remaining shorter strip. Sew all the way around the top edge of the longer strip, sewing the handles into place along the way.